luzon

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whenever we are in need of a quick getaway from work and other stress, we always opt for a tagaytay staycation. and one of our favorite places to stay in is t house.

we have been going to this place way back 2007. we used to avail of their set dinner which included 2 choices of soup (served in cute shot glasses), a salad, an entree, dessert and drinks. this is no longer being offered.

almost once a year, we have an overnight stay in this very cozy bread and breakfast place. here are some of our stays:

december 2010

a preggy me

goodnight tea + cookies

february 2012

hubby, little boy and i

rose petals on the bed

something for valentine’s

we have been frequenting the place, that most of the staff already recognizes us. 😉

last june, in celebration of their 7th year annivesary, they had a promo where you only had to add php 7.00 on top of your room rate and you will get a set meal for two and a massage for two. we decided to have this as our post father’s day celebration.

upon checking in, we were informed by the front desk that there was some kind of conference that was going on and they were occupying the regular rooms (which we always book). because of this, we were upgraded to stay in a suite, free of charge. 😀

our suite

aside from having a very large room space, there was also a sofa. in the bathroom we had the usual toilet and bath area plus a bath tub where the little boy enjoyed taking a bath. t house also now has a swimming pool but we haven’t had checked it out yet.

here is the set menu which was included in the promo. we availed it during dinner of our first day.

anniversary set menu

drink – not sure but some kind of four seasons blend

caesar salad with shaved parmesan and honey bbq chicken

grilled mahi-mahi, skewered vegetables in lemon butter sauce

slow roast pork in grilled ginger pineapple

croissant butter pudding

breakfast is always included in the room rate and you get to choose from a wide range of items available. i usually go for the spanish-style tawilis, but unfortunately it was not available that time. also included are bread basket with butter, seasonal fruits and your choice of coffee or fresh juice.

beef tapa

corned beef

one the things i look forward to, in all of our stays at t house, is the goodnight tea. they deliver to your room an herbal tea together with some pastries. 🙂

goodnight tea + mini chocolate cupcakes

the massage included in the promo is also good. the therapists are very good in kneading out the stress in our bodies and i felt very relaxed thereafter.

another thing that i like about t house is their set of green tea + honey toiletries which they source locally from ilog maria. i just love the refreshing smell of it.

if you are looking for a place to unwind, with nice surroundings and good food, t house is definitely worth checking out.

for this year’s holy week break, the family went a little bit south. our destination: golden sunset village resort & spa.

golden sunset is a resort owned by ricky reyes. it is located at calatagan, batangas. from it’s website:

Golden Sunset is one of the country’s premiere resort, just a two-and-a-half-hour drive south of Metro Manila. Located in the historic town of Calatagan, Batangas, it is fast becoming the destination for vacationers and beachgoers alike. Golden Sunset has something for every member of your family: a Serendipity Spa where you can relax and unwind, an aviary (Birds de Paradiso) where your kids can learn more about birds and various restaurants where your whole family can wine and dine to different types of cuisines. Finally, the vacation you and your family truly deserve!

Golden Sunset offers to its guests the perfect mix of breathtaking natural features, world-class amenities, relaxing yet exciting leisure activities and excellent service from a courteous and well-trained staff: all the ingredients of a relaxing and memorable vacation in one destination! Take a stoll along our sandy boardwalk, swim in our crystal clear waters or simply marvel at the beauty of our golden sunset.

there are a lot of activities that you can do inside the resort. the only downside is that they have no actual beach area where you can swim. there is just some sort of shore. most of the waters in calatagan are like these — they are either rocky or they serve as fishpens.

they are not that strict with the bringing in of food and snacks. there are several restaurants that serve food inside the resort. you cannot use cash inside the resort for purchases. you will actually be issued a “passport” which will be loaded with a certain amount of credits based on how much the guest wants, and that is what will be used.

the front desk

we got one deluxe room and one superior room. each room has one double bed, and two double beds. a mini living room with television, private toilet and bath, and an attic with extra provision for beddings. the room was ok, a little bit outdated and some of the facilities and fixtures need updating. also, the aircon wasn’t enough to cool the entire room on a hot summer day. the television didn’t have cable, and the reception from the antenna was bad.

pink jeepneys

to go around the property, you can walk, or you can ride one of these pink electric jeepneys driven by the resort’s staff. these are what you ride with your things from the front desk to the cottages/rooms that you have rented.

cultural show

there is a teaser of the cultural show during noontime. what we witnessed is a short number of hawaiian/hula dances. there is a full length cultural show at night, around 8pm.

swimming pool slide

there are a lot of pools around the are, but the rooms were near the main pool. these are two adjacent pools. one is from 4ft – 6ft, with the 2-level slide. next to it is a more shallow pool where my son enjoyed walking around in. it also featured massage beds with rainfall showers that massage your whole body.

the golden sunset

we strived to capture this scenery. the golden sunset from which the resort’s name came from. it is indeed beautiful to look at.

around the property

row of rooms for rent

we had dinner at one of the restaurants which serve traditionall filipino food. we had adobo, bulalo, fried fish and liempo. after dinner and watching the cultural show (which also required some audience participation), we walked around the property.

rawr!

the next day, we explored the “mini zoo” and the aviary. the little boy took a lot of pictures with the different animals – both alive and statues. we also went inside a pigeon/dove sanctuary where we saw lots of these species of birds, and even saw some eggs.

albino peacock

indian peacock

one of the highlights that we saw were the peacock. we had to wait for a while before these birds showed their beautiful plumage. it was indeed a treat.

after we checked out of the resort, since we took the tagaytay route, we stopped by one of the restaurants to have our late lunch of bulalo and tawilis. and then we proceeded to sky ranch where we spent the rest of the day.

the sky eye

sky rider

of the rides available, we tried the sky eye together with hubby and the little boy. and of course, i couldn’t resist trying out the sky rider, which is their 300m long zipline.

after other rides and some snacks, we called it a day and went back home.

during the april 9 holiday, we had our first summer adventure for 2014. we went to lago de oro cable ski park and resort located at calatagan, batangas. we stayed there for 3 days and 2 nights.

at lago de oro

the rooms are very spacious and it could accomodate around 5-6 persons, although the rate is just for 2 pax. you have to pay extra if you have additional persons occupying the room. it has one queen-sized bed, a single bed with pull out, plus a double-deck single bed. the room has its own private toilet and bath, refrigerator, television and other basic amenities. it also has a balcony wherein you can view the fields where them flock of sheep roams.

our room

the bed

view from the balcony

we also tried their restaurant which features mostly italian cuisine a couple of times during our stay at the resort. it is said that their specialty is the home-grown lamb, but we were not able to try it. the food was just ok, nothing to write home about. the price is also a little steep given the taste and serving size of the food.

the resort is not strict though in bringing in of food, so i suggest that you bring your own food/take out before you reach the resort especially if you have kids who are picky eaters.

the resort has a nice view of the south china sea (west philippine sea, if you must), but there is only a small shoreline. also it is not advisable to swim in the beach since it is a little bit rocky. there are balsas/boats which you can rent and you can go snorkeling/diving or have a picnic in the middle of the water.

the sea

out into the open

the resort also has a small playground area consisting of swings and monkey bars. there is also a bungee trampoline, but unfortunately, it was under maintenance when we were there.

swings at the playground area

we also tried out the swimming pool. they have an adult pool plus a jacuzzi. we stayed mostly at the jacuzzi since the little boy wants to walk around.

swimming pool

there are a lot of activities that you can do at the resort, but what they are known for is the cable ski park or wakeboarding. of course, i did not miss the opportunity to try it out.

since i have no experience whatsoever, we got a 1 hour use of the little bro which was the facility designed for beginners like me. so i suited up, got my gear and readied myself in tumbling into the water.

the little bro

ready to go

it was hard! you need to be focused and always keep your arms and legs at their proper position and keep your body’s balance so that you will not fall into the water. maybe if i had experience doing skateboarding, this would be easier.

the farthest i got i think was 1/3 of the course. 🙂

wakeboarding action

after the session

after the session, all of my body was extremely sore. but i would be very much willing to try this sport out again. 😀 (plus the fact the my nose was uber clean due to all that salty water)

every year for my birthday, we take a break and the family usually travels (out of town or out of the country). last year’s destination: legazpi city in albay, bicol.

side story: the night prior to our flight, it was really raining hard (due to habagat, i think) and most of the roads already had been flooded. our flight was around 8am, so it was still dark when we left the house, and we had to move really slowly to avoid getting into an accident. good thing i already did the web check-in the day before because when we arrived, it was almost already boarding time. we had to be escorted by the airline employee to the gate to expedite things.

i have coordinated with Roam International Travel and Tours (roaminternationaltravel@gmail.com) for our accomodation, activities and tours. the owner, miggie, was very accommodating. she asked me what we actually wanted to do while we are at legazpi, and then created an itinerary around it. i was also able to reach her via sms whenever i have questions or if i need recommendations on where to eat, etc.

we arrived at legazpi city airport at around 9am. we were picked up by the hotel’s van and we were brought to the hotel. we checked in at the oriental legazpi. since it was a little early when we arrived, our room was still being prepared. so after the check in procedures, we had breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant.

the hotel lobby

the oriental legazpi

once we have settled in our room, we took a nap to get ready for the afternoon’s activity. at 1:30pm, we were fetched for the ATV activity. we got the 350cc ATV for the salvacion trail. since we had a kid, it was only hubby who went through the trail, and we just snacked and played around the area while waiting for him.

photo ops with the atv

after the activity, we went back to the hotel to freshen up and rest. for dinner, we went to small talk cafe. it was one of the famous restaurants there which featured bicol fusion food. the place was an old house converted into a restaurant. sitting is a little bit limited. of course, we had the laing/pinangat and it was indeed good. this dish is made of gabi leaves, chili, meat and coconut milk. they also offered the mayon pizza and the pasta pinangat, but we were not able to try it out.

small talk cafe

the next day, we had our breakfast at the hotel restaurant (jasmine restaurant). i liked the options that were served during breakfast. it was a mix of continental and filipino breakfast. there was not too much lying around that you would be confused on what to eat, but what they served would really satisfy you. there was the staple filipino breakfast food (garlic rice, tocino/tapa, eggs), plus other viands and usually a vegetable dish. they were also kind enough to give us a take out container for the champorado that my kid was not able to finish so that he could still eat it in the room.

after breakfast, we changed into our swimsuits and took a dip at the pool. one of the reasons why i chose this hotel was because of the infinity pool which had a nice view of the mayon volcano. 🙂 the water was a little bit chilly, so after swimming and playing around, and the requisite “photoshoot” we went back to our room.

the infinity pool

we ordered room service for our lunch, and then we got ready for our city tour. the van and the tour guide came by at around 1:30pm. we went around the city — kawakawa hill, cagsawa ruins, daraga church, lignon hill and embarcadero. we also did some souvenir and pasalubong shopping.

one of the stations of the cross at kawakawa hill

kawakawa hill has the station of the cross which you will pass by on your way to the top of the hill. according to our guide, during holy week there are a lot of people visiting this place. it was a little bit tiring going up and around the hill, but it was good exercise. 😉

cagsawa ruins

unfortunately, it was cloudy (with a little bit of drizzle) when we arrived at cagsawa ruins so we were not able to see the mayon volcano in its full glory. we had fun however doing the illusion poses courtesy of the guides there who were trained by the local government to do this stuff. it was free, but you could always give out tips so that the people could earn extra.

mayon volcano view at lignon hill

when we arrived at lignon hill, we were able the almost the whole mayon volcano. 🙂 hubby and i did the zipline here, and it was really fun despite the fact that it was raining when we zipped. i think it added to the excitement.

after the city tour, we met up with miggie, and she treated us to dinner at eat all be cool resto grill. this is a purely eat-all-you-can restaurant at legazpi city. they serve different kinds of viands (meat, seafood, soup, veggies) and also noodles and rice. they also have different local desserts.

we also stopped by colonial grill to taste the chili ice cream. 😉 we also got to taste other flavors like tinutong, melon, calamansi, bailey’s, and pili. the chili ice cream was really interesting since you will not feel the sting at first. but you will once you swallow it, the sensation will be down your throat.

unique ice cream flavors at colonial grill

on our last day, we just lounged at our hotel room after breakfast and prepared for our flight back home.

one thing i would like to take note of was the children’s play place at the departure area of the legazpi airport. my son had a nice time playing there and he wasn’t bored while waiting for our flight to manila.

glogglogglogglog

i enjoyed our trip to legazpi. next time i would like to explore the other things which bicol has to offer. dios mabalos!

for our holy week escapade last year, i got a voucher from ensogo (now living social) for an overnight stay at la traviesa. the voucher included an overnight stay for 8 adults in an attic room, plated breakfast and use of their facilities.

la traviesa rooms

it was good that the voucher is valid even though we used it during the holy week holidays. usual check-in and check-out times were followed. we arrived at the resort at around 3pm. after the usual procedure for checking in, we settled into our rooms.

the attic room was very spacious. there were a total of 3 double beds + 1 bed with a pull out. the room also included a toilet and bath plus a personal refrigerator, lcd tv and phone. we had 6 adults + 3 children occupying the room.

after getting our things in order, we settled ourselves in a cottage near the pool where we had our food. the resort was not strict in bringing in of food and beverages. we even bought our iwatani portable stove with us so that we can cook and reheat our food.

after eating, everyone proceeded to hit the pools. the resort has a separate kiddie pool and an adult infinity pool.

swimming pool

most of us swam until around dinner time. after dinner, a number of us tried out the services in their spa. i availed of the package which included a body scrub + massage for php 1200.00. the spa facility was nice and relaxing, and the therapists and staff were very courteous and helpful. they even provided us with disposable underwear for our treatment. the scrub and massage was thorough and soothing, and i enjoyed it.

complimentary breakfast was plated, and the choice of filipino or american breakfast. we ordered the tocino, tapa, bangus and bacon. it came with either coffee or hot choco. breakfast was served in our room. service was a little slow as we had to follow up several times before our food was served even though we already called in our orders the night before. the coffee and hot chocolate (which all came in instant sachets) took even longer that most of us were already finish eating when it arrived.

after breakfast, the kids hit the pool again until it was time for us to fix ourselves and our things and check out of the resort.

overall, i would say that we got the value of what we paid for. the resort and its facilities were good but it could still be improved a lot, especially on the service.

anyone who is looking for a quick family getaway, or even just for day swimming, i would recommend going to this resort.